


A night shift's dream

by WannabeCreativeAuthor



Category: The Mighty Boosh (TV)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, and very helpful fireflies, but some cute cuddling, hand-holding, takes place in the zooniverse, there isn't even a kiss
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-09
Updated: 2016-04-09
Packaged: 2018-06-01 03:12:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6498589
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WannabeCreativeAuthor/pseuds/WannabeCreativeAuthor
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Howard looked over to Vince who was happily munching away. The moonlight played off his hair and made it shimmer silvery-golden. Was that even a colour? Anyway, that was how it looked, and Howard was definitely not thinking about running a hand through it and never had prior to this occasion. No sir."</p>
            </blockquote>





	A night shift's dream

Howard groaned inwardly as he looked at the wallchart: Night shift. For the next two weeks.  
Usually, as one of the senior staff, he got around this inconvenience. Nights were for the newbies. At least he got to work with Vince again. The last few days Bob Fossil had gotten it into his head to change around the staff roster randomly to "make a chain of friends, or a circle, yes, you all get to know each other, so much more fun, isn't it more funsie? SO MUCH FUNSIE!"

But then Joey Moose had complained about "bleeding ears" after Howard had tried to introduce him to Yma Sumac during their lunch break. He flat out refused to work with Howard ever again, even threatened to hand in his notice. So now everything should have gone back to normal. Only problem was that one of the new keepers had been attacked by a vicious duck. Bit her ear clean off. Howard had had no idea that was possible. Turned out the duck wasn't even part of the zoo, apparently it had just wandered in. Mixed with the mandarin ducks, ready to strike, like an aquatic feathery psychopath. 

Nobody knew how long she would be absent, so now all the other keepers had to fill in, hence the night shift. Howard shuffled back to the hut with a frown, hands stuffed in his pockets. 

Vince was there, splayed out on the sofa, idly flicking through a magazine. 

"Looks like it's night shift for both of us for the next two weeks.", Howard greeted him. 

Vince looked up from his literature "Great! I've been working on a special outfit I'm dying to try out." 

"For you everything's a dress-up opportunity is it?", Howard asked a little irritated at Vince's cheeriness. 

"Almost", Vince grinned "except for that one time Fossil sent us newt-hunting. Wellies just aren't my style. Even with the added glitter." 

Howard grunted at the memory of the sequined camouflage wellington boots. They should have been utterly unsuccessful at actually catching any newts the way the sunlight reflected off these things. Alerting all pond dwellers in a twenty feet radius to their presence. 

But as it was, animals tended to flock towards Vince like moths to a streetlamp. Actually moths tended to flock towards him as well. Regardless of there being a streetlamp or not. Of course they had ended up with a dozen of newts basically begging to be taken to the Zoo. 

"Right, I'm off then", Vince said, getting up from the sofa "see you tonight." 

"Yeah alright", Howard mumbled, still disgruntled at the prospect of having to fight off sleep for eight hours. He was a man of a very rigid daily routine. After Daylight Saving Time he felt tired for at least three weeks . And this was so much worse than one hour more or less. 

Putting on a bit of jazz would hopefully relax him. Especially since he was alone now and there would be no nagging from Vince. 

Time passed quicker than he would've liked and of course trying to nap in advance hadn't worked. Grumpily he put on his green work jacket and rummaged in one of the drawers for the torches. 

"Alright Howard", he heard from the door "you ready?" 

"A-ha!", he had finally found the torches in a pile of crayons. Triumphantly he turned around to face Vince. 

What he saw was mainly a dark blue cape with a myriad of stars sewn onto it that lightly glowed in the twilight of the hut. 

"What do you think?", Vince smiled enthusiastically and twirled around on the spot, "glow-in-the-dark is all the rage now in Camden." 

Despite his bad mood Howard couldn't suppress a little smile. Vince looked like a christmas tree, in an endearing kind of way. 

He mumbled some kind of response and shoved one of the torches into his mate's hand. "Let's go.", he said. 

"Which route should we take?", Vince asked "round the elephant house first or along the bear enclosure?" 

"Let's check on the bears first", Howard decided. 

It was a bit nippy outside but not too cold for a summer's night. The full moon hung in the sky like a big blob of cream, his light bright enough for them to find their way without the torches. Although there seemd to be a slight hue of pink in his usual white face, but that might just have been Howard's imagination. 

They fell into a slow pace side by side with practiced ease. Vince rambled on about something as he usually did. Now and then Howard made a comment. 

Everything alright with the bears, sound asleep the lot of them. The penguins had demanded another bedtime story before huddling together and closing their eyes. There had been a frantic search for Bollo's blankie until he remembered that he had left it on the tyre swing. No problems with the zebras and gnus. 

The Zoo was so much more quiet at night. No screaming children with obnoxious parents, no Bob Fossil with his nonsensical announcements. Howard would've actually enjoyed it if it wasn't for this sleepiness that lay over his mind like a cozy duvet. He stifled a yawn. 

"Howard?", Vince was looking at him expectantly, he hadn't been listening. 

"Sorry, what?", he rubbed his eyes. 

"I said, should we have our break now? This is my favourite spot", Vince pointed towards a bench on the side of the path between a few large bushes "I brought some sweets. I even got the tough liquorice you like." 

Howard frowned, how had he never noticed this bench before? Come to think of it, he didn't recognize the part of the path they were on either... Must be a trick his eyes played on him, at night everything looked different. 

"Uh... yeah sure, thanks", he managed to say, still looking round for something familiar. 

They sat down on the bench and immediately Howard's nose was flooded with the intense flowery smell of the bushes around them, making him a bit dizzy. 

"Howard? Are you alright?", Vince looked at him with a funny expression. 

"Yeah, just tired.", he said and leaned back on the bench. 

"OK." 

They sat in silence for a while, eating strawberry bootlaces and lemon sherbet. It was a comfortable silence, some crickets chirped in the distance. Howard looked over to Vince who was happily munching away. The moonlight played off his hair and made it shimmer silvery-golden. Was that even a colour? Anyway, that was how it looked, and Howard was definitely not thinking about running a hand through it and never had prior to this occasion. No sir. 

"Howard, look", Vince interrupted his thoughts, almost whispering. A tiny firefly had appeared in front of them. "Hello there", Vince cooed and stretched out his hand. Slowly the little fellow landed on his palm. Vince grinned. 

Again Howard couldn't help a smile. Soon there was a whole swarm surrounding them and Howard could've sworn that for a few seconds they had formed a heart over Vince's head. Probably just a coincidence. Like the pointing arrow and kissy lips they were doing now. 

Howard cleared his throat "We should probably get back to work now." 

Vince sighed "Yeah alright." 

They got up and walked further down the path Howard hoped was the right way. It still only looked vaguely familiar. 

"Oh, Karen said to check on Marvin.", Vince said. 

"He hasn't got a sore throat again, has he?" 

"I hope not." 

It was unsurprisingly difficult to sling a forty foot scarf around a giraffe's neck and Howard wasn't particularly looking forward to it. 

"I just wish he would stop singing opera arias all the time, doesn't help his condition y'know." 

"He has got a beautiful voice though." 

Howard could only agree to that. 

As they walked on, the bushes and trees around them grew thicker and taller. Finally they had to get out their torches to be able to see where they were going. 

"Uh... Vince?" 

"Yeah?" 

"Are you sure we're still on the right path?" 

"Now that you're saying it, it does look a bit strange." 

"Like a forest." 

"Yeah." 

There was a loud noise, something swooped just above their heads with a screech and disappeared in the rustling tree tops. Howard's heart stopped for a moment and he ducked instinctively towards Vince, who had done the same. 

When the first shock was over, he declared "Just an owl! Just... an owl.", a little too loudly to sound confident. His heart beat quickly in his throat. Vince looked shaken, too. "You alright little man?", Howard asked. 

Vince nodded "Yeah". His gaze fell down his arm. Now Howard looked down, too. They were holding hands. 

"Oh, sorry Howard, I..." 

"No, it's fine.", that had come out a little too quickly and he wanted to add his usual shtick of "I'm Howard Moon, wild-life wrangler extraordinaire, follow my lead and I will protect you from anything in this forest" etc. But he looked at Vince's face, all wide-eyed and pale in the sparse light and just closed his mouth. Instead he said "Come on then." And for once Vince just nodded instead of giving him a look and a sassy comment. 

They wandered on in silence, Vince's hand warm in Howard's, and soon the forest seemed to clear until there were just a few bushes left. Now the path was there again. 

"That's the goat stables.", Vince pointed towards the wooden shed. 

"But that's the other end of the Zoo.", said Howard confused. 

"Looks like we found a shortcut.", Vince grinned. 

Since they were already there they went to check in on the goats, neither of the letting go of the other's hand. The goats were all asleep with their little nightcaps tucked neatly around their horns. It was warm inside the stable and it smelled of hay. Howard's sleepiness returned with brutal force, beside him Vince yawned. Now he couldn't stifle a yawn himself. 

"A little nap can't hurt, can it?", Vince looked at him. 

"I suppose..." 

He got tugged by the hand towards a corner where a few hay bales had been stacked. They sat closely together, Vince rested his head on Howard's shoulder. Leaning back against the wall, Howard put his arm around Vince, carding a hand through his hair. They entangled their legs until they were comfortable. 

There must be something in the air tonight, Howard thought idly as his eyelids grew heavier and sleep loomed over him. Suddenly he knew with absolute certainty that it would all work out, everything would be fine. They would sort it out and he wouldn't shy away. 

Beside him Vince stirred, Howard hugged him closer and pressed a kiss on top of his head. They had all the time in the world.


End file.
